Appointment to the National Library of Australia Council

The Albanese Labor Government has today announced the appointment of Professor Larissa Behrendt AO as a part-time member of the Council of the National Library of Australia.

Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said Professor Behrendt’s appointment to the Council would strengthen the leadership of one of Australia’s iconic national cultural institutions.

“The National Library of Australia is integral to safeguarding Australian stories, serving as both our physical and digital memory.

“Professor Behrendt’s extensive professional and academic experience make her the perfect choice to ensure those stories continue to be recorded and saved for future generations.”

The National Library of Australia ensures documents of national significance relating to Australia and the Australian people, as well as significant non-Australian library materials, are collected, preserved and made accessible for future generations. 

It also maintains Trove which brings together collections from Australian libraries, universities, museums, galleries and archives and makes them accessible to the public.

The Council is established by the National Library Act 1960 and is the National Library’s governing body, responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of the Library.

Professor Larissa Behrendt is a Euahleyai/Gamillaroi academic, lawyer, award-winning author and filmmaker, and a distinguished professor and laureate fellow at the University of Technology Sydney. She established the research arm of the Jumbunna Institute, a leading Indigenous-led research centre at the University of Technology Sydney.

Professor Behrendt has extensive experience in Indigenous law, policy, creative arts, education and research. She is a Fellow os the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, and a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law. Professor Behrendt was awarded an Order of Australia in 2020 for her work in Indigenous education, the law and the arts, and received the Human Rights Medal in 2021 from the Australian Human Rights Commission. She was also awarded the 2009 NAIDOC Person of the Year and 2011 New South Wales Australian of the Year.